The present invention generally relates to lifts for watercraft, particularly to lifts which are transported with the watercraft, and specifically to transportable lifts for pontoon boats or the like.
It is desirable to lift watercraft out of the water when not in use so that the bottom of the watercraft is not continually exposed to the water and also so that the watercraft does not continually bang against the dock or shore due to waves or wakes from other watercraft passing by. Conventional watercraft lifts are stationary, i.e. typically adjacent to a dock, and include a platform which is submersible under the water below the watercraft (with the watercraft floating on the platform when submersed) and which can be raised with the watercraft thereon above the water. It can be appreciated that the dock and watercraft lift are required to be taken out of the water when the body of water freezes in the winter. Also, watercraft lifts are generally water level dependent such that as the water level drops (which typically occurs in the summer), it may be necessary to move the watercraft lift further towards the center of the body of water as the depth of the water changes adjacent to the shore (or vice versa if the water level should rise such as by excessive rainfall). Likewise, the watercraft at locations away from the stationary lift experiences the disadvantages of remaining in the water.
Thus, a need exists for lifts which are attached to and transported with the watercraft. Although lifts transportable with boats currently exist, such transportable lifts have not gained wide market acceptance for several reasons including but not limited to their large and bulky size, their unaesthetic appearance, their inability to be installed easily to existing watercraft, and the like.
Thus, a need continues to exist for lifts which are attached to and transported with the watercraft and which overcome the shortcomings and disadvantages of prior watercraft transportable lifts.